I should begin by saying that I have a good measure of respect for both presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. I think they are both much better leaders of our nation than the current president. That said, I am voting Obama come November 4th. Here’s a somewhat random list of the reasons why:…
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Back when I was an evangelical Christian…
During my undergrad years at UCLA in late 80s, I was extremely active in an evangelical Christian worship group called the University Christian Fellowship, or UCF for short. It was a tightknit bunch of 30 or so folks from various denominations and backgrounds who gathered a couple of times a week for worship-sharing (singing), bible…
Turrell’s “The Meeting” at PS1 – putting a frame around the sky
After meeting Quaker artist James Turrell last year, I have been waiting for the right time to catch his permanent art installation at the PS1 art center in Queens. Turrell’s installation is only open at particular times of the day during specific times of the year, and Queens is kind of a pain to get…
Going on a virtual hajj on IslamOnline island
I read on my Google News feed that IslamOnline.net recently established a two-sim estate in Second Life to educate people about Islam (Click here to teleport.) I found that the estate consists of four areas: An education center An amphitheater A Palestinian Holocaust Memorial Museum and a Virtual Hajj The virtual hajj was particularly interesting…
Grooving to the Sultans of Swing at Pier 54 this evening
I had a lovely Sunday, starting with Quaker meeting, then brunch with my sister for her birthday, followed by some breaking practice at home. In the evening, I headed out to Pier 54 on the Hudson River to catch Dave Berger and the Sultans of Swing playing swing music for the masses, sponsored by Dance…
Holiday cards and other emphemera in the digital age
By Dazed81, re-posted under a CC-license Sending out holiday cards is a favorite Christmas tradition of mine. For almost 20 years, I have gone to some effort to design, print and hand-write notes on the 50-plus holiday cards I typically send out. That said, holiday cards are starting to seem like an antiquated custom from…
Honoring our nation’s veterans in Second Life
As a Quaker pacifist, I am often conflicted about how to ethically respond to Veteran’s Day. While I myself do not condone violence as a means of settling our differences, either personally or as a nation, I have no problem honoring those who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect my country and our…
My full-time move to the metaverse
I am estatic to announce that starting at the beginning of November I will be starting a new job as a project manager at the Electric Sheep Company. I can’t say much more about the details before I start. But suffice to say it’s a dream job at a great company working with some of…
Is the new Newt the great uniter? (Thoughts on Gingrich’s first foray into Second Life)
This afternoon, former Speaker of the House and head of the group American Solutions for Winning the Future, Newt Gingrich spoke briefly and answered questions from an audience of 50-some avatars in Second Life. Located appropriately enough on the steps of the virtual Capitol Hill (teleport SLURL), Gingrich spoke about a number of issues, including…
Jury Duty: meet fascinating people, and send them to jail
Just got home from my first day of jury duty in New York criminal court, just a few blocks north of my apartment. I realized again how jury duty puts you into contact with people from all sorts of subcultures and strata of the city that don’t often come into close proximity of each other. …